Comparison of Laser-assisted vs Conventional Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Oral Leukoplakia

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is effective for treating oral leukoplakia (OLK), but hyperkeratosis of the lesion often reduces its efficacy and the recurrence rate is high. This study compared the difference of short-term efficacy and recurrence risk between laser-assisted PDT and conventional PDT for treating OLK. Logistic regression analysis was used for comparison of short-term efficacy between conventional and laser-assisted PDT. Cox regression was used for comparison of recurrence risks between the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference in short-term efficacy between conventional and laser-assisted PDT (P>0.05), but laser-assisted PDT could achieve greater area reduction per treatment (t = 2.125, P = 0.033) and reduced recurrence risk (HR = 0.301, 95% CI: 0.160-0.866). Laser-assisted PDT was more efficient in treating OLK than conventional PDT and could reduce the risk of OLK recurrence after treatment.